CALIFORNIA CODES GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 68150-68153 68150. (a) Trial court records may be created, maintained, and preserved in any form or forms of communication or representation, including paper, optical, electronic, magnetic, micrographic, or photographic media or other technology, if the form or forms of representation or communication satisfy the rules adopted by the Judicial Council pursuant to subdivision (c), once those rules have been adopted. Until those rules are adopted, the court may continue to create, maintain, and preserve records according to the minimum standards or guidelines for the preservation and reproduction of the medium adopted by the American National Standards Institute or the Association for Information and Image Management. (b) This section shall not apply to court reporters' transcripts or to specifications for electronic recordings made as the official record of oral proceedings. These records shall be governed by the California Rules of Court. (c) The Judicial Council shall adopt rules to establish the standards or guidelines for the creation, maintenance, reproduction, or preservation of court records, including records that must be preserved permanently. The standards or guidelines shall reflect industry standards for each medium used, if those standards exist. The standards or guidelines shall ensure that court records are created and maintained in a manner that ensures accuracy and preserves the integrity of the records throughout their maintenance. They shall also ensure that the records are stored and preserved in a manner that will protect them against loss and ensure preservation for the required period of time. Standards and guidelines for the electronic creation, maintenance, and preservation of court records shall ensure that the public can access and reproduce records with at least the same amount of convenience as paper records previously provided. (d) No additions, deletions, or changes shall be made to the content of court records, except as authorized by statute or the California Rules of Court. (e) Court records shall be indexed for convenient access. (f) A copy of a court record created, maintained, preserved, or reproduced according to subdivisions (a) and (c) shall be deemed an original court record and may be certified as a correct copy of the original record. (g) Any notice, order, judgment, decree, decision, ruling, opinion, memorandum, warrant, certificate of service, or similar document issued by a trial court or by a judicial officer of a trial court may be signed, subscribed, or verified using a computer or other technology in accordance with procedures, standards, and guidelines established by the Judicial Council pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all notices, orders, judgments, decrees, decisions, rulings, opinions, memoranda, warrants, certificates of service, or similar documents that are signed, subscribed, or verified by computer or other technological means pursuant to this subdivision shall have the same validity, and the same legal force and effect, as paper documents signed, subscribed, or verified by a trial court or a judicial officer of the court.
(h) A court record created, maintained, preserved, or reproduced in accordance with subdivisions (a) and (c) shall be stored in a manner and in a place that reasonably ensures its preservation against loss, theft, defacement, or destruction for the prescribed retention period under Section 68152. (i) A court record that was created, maintained, preserved, or reproduced in accordance with subdivisions (a) and (c) may be disposed of in accordance with the procedure under Section 68153, unless it is either of the following: (1) A comprehensive historical and sample superior court record preserved for research under the California Rules of Court. (2) A court record that is required to be preserved permanently. (j) Instructions for access to data stored on a medium other than paper shall be documented. (k) Each court shall conduct a periodic review of the media in which the court records are stored to ensure that the storage medium is not obsolete and that current technology is capable of accessing and reproducing the records. The court shall reproduce records before the expiration of their estimated lifespan for the medium in which they are stored according to the standards or guidelines established by the Judicial Council. (l) Unless access is otherwise restricted by law, court records created, maintained, preserved, or reproduced under subdivisions (a) and (c) shall be made reasonably accessible to all members of the public for viewing and duplication as the paper records would have been accessible. Unless access is otherwise restricted by law, court records maintained in electronic form shall be viewable at the court, regardless of whether they are also accessible remotely. Reasonable provision shall be made for duplicating the records at cost. Cost shall consist of all costs associated with duplicating the records as determined by the court. 68151. The following definitions apply to this chapter: (a) "Court record" shall consist of the following: (1) All filed papers and documents in the case folder, but if no case folder is created by the court, all filed papers and documents that would have been in the case folder if one had been created. (2) Administrative records filed in an action or proceeding, depositions, paper exhibits, transcripts, including preliminary hearing transcripts, and recordings of electronically recorded proceedings filed, lodged, or maintained in connection with the case, unless disposed of earlier in the case pursuant to law. (3) Other records listed under subdivision (j) of Section 68152. (b) "Notice of destruction and no transfer" means that the clerk has given notice of destruction of the superior court records open to public inspection, and that there is no request and order for transfer of the records as provided in the California Rules of Court. (c) "Final disposition of the case" means that an acquittal, dismissal, or order of judgment has been entered in the case or proceeding, the judgment has become final, and no postjudgment motions or appeals are pending in the case or for the reviewing court upon the mailing of notice of the issuance of the remittitur. In a criminal prosecution, the order of judgment shall mean imposition of sentence, entry of an appealable order (including, but not limited to, an order granting probation, commitment of a defendant for insanity, or commitment of a defendant as a narcotics addict appealable under Section 1237 of the Penal Code), or
forfeiture of bail without issuance of a bench warrant or calendaring of other proceedings. (d) "Retain permanently" means that the court records shall be maintained permanently according to the standards or guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 68150. 68152. The trial court clerk may destroy court records under Section 68153 after notice of destruction and if there is no request and order for transfer of the records, except the comprehensive historical and sample superior court records preserved for research under the California Rules of Court, when the following times have expired after final disposition of the case in the categories listed: (a) Adoption: retain permanently. (b) Change of name: retain permanently. (c) Other civil actions and proceedings, as follows: (1) Except as otherwise specified: 10 years. (2) Where a party appears by a guardian ad litem: 10 years after termination of the court's jurisdiction. (3) Domestic violence: same period as duration of the restraining or other orders and renewals, then retain the restraining or other orders as a judgment; 60 days after expiration of the temporary protective or temporary restraining order. (4) Eminent domain: retain permanently. (5) Family law, except as otherwise specified: 30 years. (6) Harassment: same period as duration of the injunction and renewals, then retain the injunction as a judgment; 60 days after expiration of the temporary restraining order. (7) Mental health (Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and Lanterman-Petris-Short Act): 30 years. (8) Paternity: retain permanently. (9) Petition, except as otherwise specified: 10 years. (10) Real property other than unlawful detainer: retain permanently if the action affects title or an interest in real property. (11) Small claims: 10 years. (12) Unlawful detainer: one year if judgment is for possession of the premises; 10 years if judgment is for money. (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), any civil or small claims case in the trial court: (1) Involuntarily dismissed by the court for delay in prosecution or failure to comply with state or local rules: one year. (2) Voluntarily dismissed by a party without entry of judgment: one year. Notation of the dismissal shall be made on the civil index of cases or on a separate dismissal index. (e) Criminal. (1) Capital felony (murder with special circumstances where the prosecution seeks the death penalty): retain permanently. If the charge is disposed of by acquittal or a sentence less than death, the case shall be reclassified. (2) Felony, except as otherwise specified: 75 years. (3) Felony, except capital felony, with court records from the initial complaint through the preliminary hearing or plea and for which the case file does not include final sentencing or other final disposition of the case because the case was bound over to the superior court: five years. (4) Misdemeanor, except as otherwise specified: five years.
(5) Misdemeanor alleging a violation of the Vehicle Code, except as otherwise specified: three years. (6) Misdemeanor alleging a violation of Section 23103, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code: 10 years. (7) Misdemeanor alleging a violation of Section 14601, 14601.1, 20002, 23104, 23105, 23109, or 23109.1 of the Vehicle Code: five years. (8) Misdemeanor alleging a marijuana violation under subdivision (b), (c), (d), or (e) of Section 11357 of the Health and Safety Code, or subdivision (b) of Section 11360 of the Health and Safety Code in accordance with the procedure set forth in Section 11361.5 of the Health and Safety Code: records shall be destroyed two years from the date of conviction or from the date of arrest if no conviction. (9) Misdemeanor, infraction, or civil action alleging a violation of the regulation and licensing of dogs under Sections 30951 to 30956, inclusive, of the Food and Agricultural Code or violation of any other local ordinance: three years. (10) Misdemeanor action resulting in a requirement that the defendant register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code: 75 years. This paragraph shall apply to records relating to a person convicted on or after September 20, 2006. (11) Infraction, except as otherwise specified: three years. (12) Parking infractions, including alleged violations under the stopping, standing, and parking provisions set forth in Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 22500) of Division 11 of the Vehicle Code: two years. (f) Habeas corpus: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category. (g) Juvenile. (1) Dependent (Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code): upon reaching age 28 or on written request shall be released to the juvenile five years after jurisdiction over the person has terminated under subdivision (a) of Section 826 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Sealed records shall be destroyed upon court order five years after the records have been sealed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 389 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) Ward (Section 601 of the Welfare and Institutions Code): upon reaching age 21 or on written request shall be released to the juvenile five years after jurisdiction over the person has terminated under subdivision (a) of Section 826 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Sealed records shall be destroyed upon court order five years after the records have been sealed under subdivision (d) of Section 781 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (3) Ward (Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code): upon reaching age 38 under subdivision (a) of Section 826 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Sealed records shall be destroyed upon court order when the subject of the record reaches the age of 38 under subdivision (d) of Section 781 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (4) Traffic and some nontraffic misdemeanors and infractions (Section 601 of the Welfare and Institutions Code): upon reaching age 21 or five years after jurisdiction over the person has terminated under subdivision (c) of Section 826 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. May be microfilmed or photocopied. (5) Marijuana misdemeanor under subdivision (e) of Section 11357 of the Health and Safety Code in accordance with procedures specified in subdivision (a) of Section 11361.5 of the Health and Safety Code: upon reaching age 18 the records shall be destroyed.
(h) Probate. (1) Conservatorship: 10 years after decree of termination. (2) Guardianship: 10 years after the age of 18. (3) Probate, including probated wills, except as otherwise specified: retain permanently. (i) Court records of the appellate division of the superior court: five years. (j) Other records. (1) Applications in forma pauperis: any time after the disposition of the underlying case. (2) Arrest warrant: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category. (3) Bench warrant: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category. (4) Bond: three years after exoneration and release. (5) Coroner's inquest report: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category; if no case, then permanent. (6) Court orders not associated with an underlying case, such as orders for destruction of court records for telephone taps, or to destroy drugs, and other miscellaneous court orders: three years. (7) Court reporter notes: 10 years after the notes have been taken in criminal and juvenile proceedings and five years after the notes have been taken in all other proceedings, except notes reporting proceedings in capital felony cases (murder with special circumstances where the prosecution seeks the death penalty and the sentence is death), including notes reporting the preliminary hearing, which shall be retained permanently, unless the Supreme Court on request of the court clerk authorizes the destruction. (8) Electronic recordings made as the official record of the oral proceedings under the California Rules of Court: any time after final disposition of the case in infraction and misdemeanor proceedings, 10 years in all other criminal proceedings, and five years in all other proceedings. (9) Electronic recordings not made as the official record of the oral proceedings under the California Rules of Court: any time either before or after final disposition of the case. (10) Index, except as otherwise specified: retain permanently. (11) Index for cases alleging traffic violations: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category. (12) Judgments within the jurisdiction of the superior court other than in a limited civil case, misdemeanor case, or infraction case: retain permanently. (13) Judgments in misdemeanor cases, infraction cases, and limited civil cases: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category. (14) Minutes: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category. (15) Naturalization index: retain permanently. (16) Ninety-day evaluation (under Section 1203.03 of the Penal Code): same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category, or period for completion or termination of probation, whichever is longer. (17) Register of actions or docket: same period as period for retention of the records in the underlying case category, but in no event less than 10 years for civil and small claims cases. (18) Search warrant: 10 years, except search warrants issued in
connection with a capital felony case defined in paragraph (7), which shall be retained permanently. (k) Retention of the court records under this section shall be extended as follows: (1) By order of the court on its own motion, or on application of a party or an interested member of the public for good cause shown and on those terms as are just. A fee shall not be charged for making the application. (2) Upon application and order for renewal of the judgment to the extended time for enforcing the judgment. 68153. Upon order of the presiding judge of the court, court records open to public inspection and not ordered transferred under the procedures in the California Rules of Court, confidential records, and sealed records that are ready for destruction under Section 68152 may be destroyed. Destruction shall be by shredding, burial, burning, erasure, obliteration, recycling, or other method approved by the court, except confidential and sealed records, which shall not be buried or recycled unless the text of the records is first obliterated. Notation of the date of destruction shall be made on the index of cases or on a separate destruction index. A list of the court records destroyed within the jurisdiction of the superior court shall be provided to the Judicial Council in accordance with the California Rules of Court.